The Legend of Nexius: The Second Beginning
by Deeth Irteen
Summary: Let us turn back the clock to the time of Nexius, the first Black dragon descendant of Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder. What will he find when he tries to master his newly-discovered twelved elements of magic? Rated T for teen... for now.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Ten long years had passed since Malefor's Imprisonment. Ten years of peace.

Over that time period, new dragons were beginning to walk the earth, all of them bearing new physical traits, as well as brand new elements, the likes of which had never been seen before.

But alas, the supposed prosperity brought about by the Dark Master's defeat only laid way to new threats. First came destruction in the form of Zevron, the son of Malefor. Next came madness in the form of the spirit of the Ice King, Dante. And then, a new threat arose to cast the Dragon race into doom and chaos: the dragon race itself. All the different types of dragons were bickering and arguing over what parts of the land belonged to who. If something wasn't done, the dragon race would be left splintered in a chaotic, bloody mess.

And in the ancient dragon city of Warfang, two heroes were about resolve everything.

...

The sun had just set.

A Purple dragon, halfway through his twenties, approached the balcony that was just outside his and his mate's chamber. The balcony overlooked the Temple Gardens, as well as a small section of the city beyond.

The dragon was tall and thickly built, but not quite as large or burly as most other dragons. He had two Golden horns upon his head, which bent backwards like thick Lightning bolts. A long line of Golden backspikes ran down his back, and a large, round blade adorned the end of his tail. His back was covered in a thick, Golden cloak, which was held together by a small chain. all four of his legs were covered in thick, Golden stockings, which had slits for his talon tips to slip through. Various pieces of Jewlery adorned his horns, and a Golden medallion was hung over around his neck.

This dragon was none other than Spyro

The Hero looked his outfit over with his Purple eyes. His groaned with chagrin: Even after all this time, he still wasn't used to such clothing.

"Why am I supposed to wear this stuff, Cyn?" He asked. "It's not like it's going make any difference at the council tonight. Plus, I don't feel all that comfortable, and I look like a fool."

"Well, _I_ happen to think you look rather dashing, Spy."

A Black dragoness approached from within the chamber.

The dragoness was the same age as Purple one. She had a slender, yet somewhat muscular build. Six Silver horns stood outwards upon her head, all of which were decorated in Silver rings. A pattern of strange runes adorned her face, just above her Emerald eyes and beaklike snout. Silver backspikes grew outwards from her back, and a curved blade grew out of her tail. Several large, Silver bangles covered her ankles, and a large "choker" adorned her neck. A thick, Magenta coat was placed across her torso, which nearly matched the tone of her underbelly and wing membranes. A Silver medallion was worn about her, which had an Amber stone emblazoned in the center.

This dragoness was Cynder.

The Purple dragon turned towards his mate, and smiled at her comment.

"You look rather lovely as well." He stated.

"Thanks, Spyro." Cynder replied.

The two dragons briefly kissed each other, and then turned to look at the city limits.

"The Council's going to begin within the hour." Spyro said. "We better get going. Terrador and the others will be waiting for us."

"Yes," Cynder agreed, "But not just yet."

The Black dragoness turned back towards their stone-and-metal chamber and walked towards a pair of small, silver cushions that sat just before the dragons' large silk mattress. One one cushion was a small, Black-shelled egg. And on the other, was a small, sleeping, Purple dragon cub.

The cub, a girl, was roughly three years old. She had a small, chubby body, with a Magenta underbelly and wing membranes. She had large, Emerald eyes, though they were closed tightly in her slumber. six Amethyst hornstubs grew from her head: four upon her lower jaw, and two just behind her eyes. A short stubble of Black hair grew allover her scalp, and four tiny digits were upon each of her paws: signs that she was born after the start of the New Age. A small swordblade, only a few inches long, grew out of her tailend.

Cynder reached over to the cub with a forepaw and lightly shook her daughter awake.

"Time to get up, Chrisala." The Black dragoness said sweetly. "We need to go to the Council soon."

The Purple cub groaned as she awoke, and looked up unhappily at her mother.

"I'm stiww sweepy, Mommy." Chrisala complained. "Can't you and Daddy go without me?"

"You know that we can't leave you alone, Chrisala." Cynder said sternly. "And we haven't been able to find anyone to look after you while your father and I go, since everyone we know's already left for the Council."

"But I want to sweep some mowe." The cub protested.

"You can go back to sleep later, dear."

"Pwomise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Okay..." Chrisala slowly sat up on her haunches to look directly at Cynder.

"Can I wide on youw back, Mommy?" She asked with pleading eyes.

The Black dragoness chuckled at this. She turned around and sat down on her hauches as well.

"Clime on up, dear." She stated. "And be careful."

Chrisala slowly crawled up her mother's back, watching out for the adult dragoness's backspikes. As the Purple cub reached Cynder's neck, she carefully wrapped her wings around the Black dragoness's hide and locked her wingblades together.

As this happened, Cynder turned back around and carefully picked up the small Black egg with her forepaws.

"Spyro, could you please bring me my satchel?"

"Sure thing, Cyn."

The Purple dragon walked over to a wooden dresser on the opposite side of the room, and grabbed a large, Silver cloth satchel off the top of it. He then approached his mate, and slung the satchel over her neck, careful to avoid Chrisala.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with bringing the egg with us too, Cyn?" Spyro asked.

"As I said before, there's no one here trustworthy enough to look after it in our absence." The Black dragoness answered.

"Why not those Wind dragonesses?" The Purple male suggested. "They seemed pretty eager to do everything you tell them."

Cynder gave Spyro a look, which made him falter.

"No." She stated. "I wouldn't trust anyone besides the Guardians, William or Blizzard with our egg."

"If you say so..."

Cynder slipped the Black egg gently into the satchel, and then shut it tight. She adjusted ithe strap so that the egg wouldn't bounce around to much while she was in flight.

Spyro turned back towards the balcony, as did the adult dragoness.

"Uh, Daddy...?" Chrisala asked.

"Yes, Chrissy?" Spyro replied.

"Will we see Uncwe Wiwwy and Aunt Bwee-zy at the Counciw?"

"Of course, Chrisala." The Purple dragon answered.

"Yay!" The cub cheered happily. Cynder laughed at this.

"Ready to go see them, dear?" She asked her daughter.

"Uh-huh!"

"Then let's go." Spyro declared.

The Purple dragon took to flight, followed shortly by Cynder. The two dragones headed off for their destination.

The Warfang Coliseum.

...

The Coliseum was a massive, circular building, that had just recently seen completion. It was designed with two main chambers in the center: A larger one, which lacked a roof so that dragons could fly within, and a smaller one, built directly underneath the first, so that landlocked beings, like Moles and Cats, could enter inside.

There was a large ring of bleachers placed around a large, flat section on the floor. Countless numbers of beings, Dragon and Nondragon alike, filled these stands, and looked downwards at the large arena below.

The most obvious part of the furniture placed about the center of the arena was the massive, circular stone table smackdab in the middle of the chamber. a Total of seventeen large, well-manufactured cushions were placed around the table. Five of the cushions were Golden, while all the other ones were Silver.

In three of the Gold cushions sat three powerful, thickly built dragons. They were the three Guardians of Warfang: Volteer, of Lighting, Terrador, of Earth, and Cyril, of Ice. Terrador sat in the middle Cushion, while the two directly beside him were barren, and the next two were occupied by Cyril and Volteer. A tall, Lightning dragoness in her early thirties stood beside Volteer, while an Earth dragoness roughly the same age stood beside Terrador. They were Lectra and Topaz: the respective daughters of the two Guardians.

In most of the Silver cushions sat various dragons, all of which had their own hide color, and element. They were also all dragons created during the New Age, given aged bodies right from the beginning, since they had died at matching ages before the Age started. To Cyril's side, sat a bizarrely-hided dragon.

The dragon, a male, was roughly in his mide-to-late twenties, and had a somewhat thick build. He had a hindsection and tail that was Black as Midnight, while the rest of his torso from the midsection on was White as snow. The rightside of the dragon's face was Midnight black as well, covering an exact half of the dragon's head before fading to white at the start of the neck. The dragon's Silver horns curled like those or a ram, and he had Deep, Emerald eyes.

This dragon was William, the King of the Ice dragon colonies.

Just to William's right, sat the Ice dragoness Blizzard, William's mate.

The dragoness was slightly younger than William, and had a thin, slender build, with a rather curvy rear. She had an Light Blue hide, and a bright yellow underbelly and wing membranes. Her two silver horns grew outwards behind her Ocean blue eyes diagonally, and a large, Crystal-like cluster was encrusted onto her scalp. An elegant necklace was hung around her neck.

"Where are Spyro and Cynder?" Blizzard asked.

"Beats me." William answered. "I would've expected them to be here by now, though."

Not a moment too soon, Spyro and Cynder flew downwards from the opening in the Coliseum Roof, and came to a landing near William, Blizzard, and the three Guardians. All the other dragons and Nondragons in the room fell silent at the sight of the two heroes.

"Greetings, everyone." Cynder. stated, approaching one of the empty Golden cushions besides Terrador.

"What kept you?" Terrador demanded. "We've been awaiting your arrival."

"My apologies, Terrador." Spyro replied. "We still haven't grown accustomed to dressing ourselves in these outfits."

As this happened, Chrisala looked over at where William and Blizzard were, and smiled at them, her tail wagging happily. The Black-and-White dragon and Ice dragoness chuckled at this.

"Nice to see you, Chrisala." Blizzard said, grinning.

"Hewwo, Uncwe Wiwwy!" The cub shouted.

"Hush, Chrisala." Cynder scolded, putting a talon before her daughter's snout. "Don't speak so loud here."

"Sowwy, Mommy." The cub stated ashamedly.

As William and Blizzard chuckled quietly at Chrisala's silliness, Cynder took her seat beside Terrador, Spyro began speaking.

"On behalf of myself, my mate, and all of the Guardians," He said, "I'd like to thank the twelve of you, who sit upon the Silver Cushions, for taking the time to come to this Council."

"As you all know," Cynder stated, "It has been a total of ten years since Malefor's defeat. In that time, many new dragons have appeared all across the newly-reshaped land. And what wonderous creatures they are: Twelve types of dragons, with twelve different elements at each type's beck and call."

"Unfortunately, problems have arisen because of this." Spyro began again. "With so many different breeds of dragons, they have all begun fighting amongst themselves over who had sovereignity over where. The Guardians, as well as Cynder and I, believe that order needs to be established among the dragon breeds, or chaos will spead like a virus."

"What do you suppose should be done?" One of the dragons in the cushions, a Brown-hided male, asked.

"We have recently come across the most perfect solution we could find." Terrador responded.

The Earth dragon reached underneath the stone table for a moment, and then pulled out a large, folded-up tapestry, and placed it on the table. He then spread it out, so that all around it could see its contents.

"This tapestry holds a map of the Dragon Realms, as they currently are." Terrador declared. "It is the first map to be created of our land in the New Age."

The many dragons about the table took a moment to analyze the map. Two massive continents, a larger Northern one and a smaller Southern one, took up most of it, while three strings of Islands could be seen on either side of the Northern continent, and in the center of the large Ocean in the center of the world. Large chunks of each part of the map were colored with different hues of Green, Red, Blue and Yellow. Four small stars, two on each continent, could be seen as well.

"Amazing work..." A Fire dragon stated, "But what good is it to us?"

"Wetookthelibertyof dividinglargepartsofthe mapintoatotal oftwelvesections." Volteer declared, speaking almost too fast for anyone to understand. "Wealsodecided tocalleachandevery oneofyoutocometoWarfang becauseyouareallthe mostpowerfulwielders , asfarasweknow."

"Uh... What for?" William asked.

"Well," Cyril replied, "We have all decided that, in order for civility and peace to be established, all of the dragons throughout the world should be divided up into a total of twelve subgroups."

"Subgroups?" Blizzard queried.

"Clans." Cynder stated. "Twelve Clans of dragons, one for each of the elements, shall inherit a small part of the Dragon realms."

The crowd began to murmur at this, while Cynder continued talking.

"You twelve have all been selected to become the new rulers of each of these clans, since dragons of matching elements will respect your great power."

"Sounds like a decent enough plan to me." A Silver dragoness declared.

"Aye," Another Silver dragon agreed. "But how will we be established as rulers?"

Cynder turned her head towards the back of the Arena.

"Enter." She commanded.

Not a moment later, a large group of Cheetahs and Lions, all of whom were dressed in Mystic's robes and carrying a wooden staff, entered the area and surrounded the dragons.

"With the aid of these Cat magicians and sorcerers," Spyro stated, "Each of you shall be imprinted with a magic Glyph: A Royal birthmark that shall be embedded into your very blood, and shine brightly on a spot on your body. You will also be given complete authority over every dragon that has the same element as yourself."

"Do you all agree to this?" Terrador asked.

Most of the dragons around the table nodded or voiced their approval.

"I have a question." The Dark Red dragon stated. "Why aren't either Spyro or yourself being given authority over a Clan, milady?"

Cynder chuckled at being called this.

"Well," She responded, "Spyro has been asked to take up the mantle of Guardian here in Warfang, while _I_ have been asked to take up control of the city of Aeroshard."

"Enough dawdle." Terrador stated. "All of you: Stand up on your haunches."

Each of the twelve dragons did as they were told, and the Magicians and Sorcerers all began chanting a spell in ancient draconian language.

"Tenebra ecce Lux, Lux ecce Tenebrus. Tenebra ecce Lux, Lux ecee Tenebrus..."

A great number of magical masses of energy, each of various colors, flowed out of the Cats' staffs, and surrounded one of each of the twelve dragons. As this happened, Spyro and Cynder began reading off a list of names.

"The dragon known as Inferdus shall be King of Clan Aries, the clan of Pain, and take rule over the string of Mountains on the northern coast of the Northern continent." Cynder stated.

The Dark Red dragon's sides were emblazoned with a Red pair of crossed Infinity signs.

"The dragon known as Raunn shall be King of Clan Taurus, the clan of Fauna, and take rule over the massive Jungle on the northern continent's Western side." The Black dragoness declared.

A Silver dragon's forehead was emblazoned with a Yellow roaring Lionhead.

"The dragoness known as Watina shall be Queen of Clan Gemini, the clan of Lightning, and take rule over the string of Hills and Valleys along the northern edge of the Southern continent." Spyro stated.

A Bright yellow dragoness's left forepaw was emblazoned with a Yellow lightning bolt.

"The dragoness known as Veros shall be Queen of Clan Cancer, the clan of Memory, and take rule over the city of Warfang, as well as part of the eastern side of the plainsaround it." The Purple dragon declared.

A Pink dragoness's hindlegs were emblazoned with Purple crabs, one on each side.

"The dragoness known as Aechos shall be Queen of Clan Leo, the clan of Sound, and take rule over the massive valley on the Western side of the Southern continent." Cynder declared.

The silver dragoness's throat was emblazoned with a Purple rippling Echo pattern.

"The dragon known as Kilon shall be King of Clan Virgo, the clan of Earth, and take rule over the mountain range on the Eastern side of the Southern Continent." Spyro declared.

The Green dragon's back was emblazoned with a Yellow Inverted Circle.

"The dragoness known as Amalia shall be Queen of Clan Libra, the clan of Time, and take rule over the city of Glenhaven, and part of the surrounding desert." The Purple dragon stated.

A Golden-hided dragoness was emblazoned with a Red set of scales on her right forepaw.

"The dragoness known as Tarune shall be Queen of Clan Scorpion, the clan of Flora, and take rule over the city of Faeshrine, and the surrounding Forest." The Black dragoness stated.

A Dark Grey dragoness was emblazoned with a Purple Lily Flower on her chest.

"The dragon known as Pyrus shall be King of Clan Sagittarius, the clan of Fire, and take rule over the string of Volcanic islands to the West of the Northern continent." Spyro declared.

The bright Red dragon's wing membranes were emblazoned with a pair of Red, Flaming arrowheads.

"The dragon known as Zenith shall be King of Clan Capricorn, the clan of Space, and take rule over the floating islans to the East of the Northern contintent." Cynder declared.

The Dark-Red dragon's shoulders were emblazoned with Blue hourglasses.

"The dragoness known as Arcus shall be Queen of Clan Aquarius, the clan of Wind, and take rule over the city of Aeroshard, as well as the eastern portion of the surrounding desert." The Black dragoness stated.

A Dark Green dragoness was emblazoned with a Green, swirling Cyclone on the base of her tail.

"And lastly, the dragon known as William shall be King of Clan Pisces, the clan of Water, and take rule over the string of Islands of the central ocean." The Purple dragon declared.

The Black-and-White dragon was emblazoned with a small, Blue tear drop, on the top-left side of his head.

All twelve of the dragons marveled at their new Royal Glyphs, while Terrador stood up and faced the crowd.

"Look on, one and all: The twelve Monarchs of the New Age of dragons stand before you."

All of the beings, Dragon and Nondragon alike, bowed their heads in servitude towards the Kings and Queens.

"All hail the Monarchs!" Someone shouted.

Everyone gave out cheers towards the dragons around the table.

"And all hail Spyro and Cynder!" Another dragon exclaimed. "None of this would've been possible without their efforts!"

Everyone else in the arena besides the Purple and Black dragons shouted out thunderous cheer and applause.

"Long live Lord Spyro! Long live Lady Cynder!"

The two dragons blushed in embarassment.

"That's... that's not really necessary." Spyro stated.

"We only did what was needed." Cynder added.

"Does evwybody like you two, Daddy?" Chrisala asked, astonished.

"I guess so, Chrisala." The Purple dragon replied, still feeling sheepish.

William and Blizzard laughed.

"Well, what did you two expect?" The newly-appointed Water dragon asked, grinning. "You're heroes, after all."

"We know that." Cynder replied. "But still, it's kind of embarrassing having everyone cheer our names like this."

"Well then, you're going to get all the more embarrased as you get older." Blizzard stated.

"What makes you say that?" Spyro wondered.

"Well, if you keep doing good deeds for the dragon race, then there'll be more reasons to sing your praises."

"So, the only way to get everyone to leave you alone is start being evil." William declared smugly."

"Oh, ha ha." Spyro stated, sticking his tongue out.

Cynder, however, glared at the Black-and-White dragon, who was taken aback.

"What?" He asked.

"Don't joke about that, William." She said coldly. "You should know by now how I feel about..."

"Oh." The Water King stated, feeling sheepish. "Sorry, Cyn. I didn't mean to strike a nerve."

"It's alright." The Black dragoness responded. "Just please, watch your tongue around me wtih that subject."

"What'we you talking about, Mommy?" Chrisala asked, confused.

"Never mind, dear."

Around this time, the arena had become silent again. Terrador cleared his throat to speak.

"Now then, it will take some time, but I and the rest of the Guardians believe that new settlements for the dragon race can be constructed all across the realms over a course of-"

Suddenly, a low cracking sound interrupted the Earth Guardian.

"Hmm?" He asked, looking around. Several of the other dragons did too.

"What was that?" Cyril asked.

"Idon'tseeanythingoutoftheordinary." Volteer stated.

"Odd." Terrador muttered. "As I was saying, the settlements shall be constructed during-."

Another cracking sound filled the air.

"What in blazes is that racket?" The Earth dragon demanded.

A third cracking noise filled the air, and Cynder realized it was coming from directly next to her. She looked down at her satchel, and saw that something was moving around slightly inside it in short jerks to the side.

"The egg!" She exclaimed, eyes wide. "It's hatching!"

The other dragons around the table muttered amongst themselves in astonishment as the Black dragoness immediately reached into her satchel and produced the Black-shelled egg and gently sat it down on the table, away from the edge. The egg had slight cracks near the top and bottom sides, and part of it suddenly broke even further as the creature within it shoved against the shell.

"What's happening, Mommy?" Chrisala asked.

"You're baby brother or sister is waking up." Cynder answered, smiling happily at the shifting egg.

"No way!" William exclaimed. "You brought your other child here too?"

"We didn't have anyone to entrust with its safety!" Spyro responded.

Part of the eggshell broke, and a tiny hindleg kicked out of the side. The egg wobbled, and flopped over as the leg unbalanced it. A short moment later, another chubby hindleg broke free, followed by a wing. Finally, the top part of the egg broke away, and a small head burst out.

Spyro and Cynder were filled with joy as their new hatchling broke free of its egg, and flopped onto it's side, mewling softly. All of the other adult dragons smiled at the sight of the baby dragon.

"He's adorable!" Blizzard declared, smiling.

"Yes, quite." Terrador remarked.

The hatchling's scales were completely Black, but it's underbelly and wing membranes were a Golden color, similar to Spyro. It also had two tiny stubs for horns just above and behind its big round eyes, and tiny bits of hair were growing on its scalp. The hatchling had a short array of spikes on its back, and a tiny little stub of a tailblade.

Cynder reached down and lifted her tiny hatchling up, so that she could lick the shell fragments and gooey slime off it's body. The hatchling writhed around a little, squeaking in displeasure.

"Hold still, my little one." The dragoness said softly.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" William asked.

After the hatchling was cleaned of its filth, Spyro gently took it from Cynder's grip, and looked it over for a moment. A joyful grin spread across his muzzle.

"It's a boy." The Purple dragon declared, handing the hatchling back to his mate. Chrisala gasped in delight.

"I have a baby bwother!" She said happily, her tail wagging again.

The other dragons at the table cheered at Spyro's declaration, as did the beings in the bleachers. In the meantime, Cynder held her son up in the air before her, looking into his large, Purple eyes. The hatchling wailed a little, tiny fangs visible in his miniscule muzzle. A moment later, he quieted down, and looked back into his mother's eyes, focusing on them curiously. The Black dragoness teared up a little from her joy.

"What should I name you, little one?" She wondered out loud.

"Can I make a suggestion?" William asked.

"What would that be?" Spyro queried.

"Maybe you could name him after your fallen mentor." The Black-and-White dragon.

"Hmm..."

"Ihaveabetteridea, if you don't mind me interrupting." Volteer's daughter Lectra chipped in. "Maybeyoucouldnamehim afteroneoftheancient dragonphilosophersofold."

"That's too overdone." Terrador's daughter Topaz interjected. "Perhaps a majestic name, like that of a King or a Lord."

"Why would Cynder want to do that?" Blizzard demanded. "She should name it after one of the constellations. Isn't that right, William?"

"Uh..." The Black-and-White dragon stammered.

"Istillthinkaphilosopher's namewouldbebest forthehatchling." Lectra declared.

"Thatseemslike agoodidea tomeaswell." Volteer agreed.

"Oh, stop that." Terrador demanded. "It's Spyro and Cynder's decision, not yours."

"However, a King's name would fit the boy perfectly." Cyril responded. "It's not every day that a hatchling enters the world under these circumstances."

"Who asked you to step in, Sir Cyril?" Topaz exclaimed.

Pretty soon, the guardians and their daughters, daughter-in-law in Cyril's case, started getting into an arguement, much to the Monarchs' amusement.

During this, Cynder sat in thought, while her child cooed softly, looking around at the bickering dragons in confusion.

_Hmm, this IS a rare occasion. He was born on the night of the founding of the new clans. Perhaps something that reflects this gathering, and the fact that the monarchs all share a special connection, like a nexus, or a.._

As the Black dragoness thought of the word "nexus", a large beam of moonlight suddenly entered through the whole in the roof. The soft blue moonlight illuminated the area in the air in which the hatchling was held in, which caught the attention of all the dragons in the arena.

"Look at that!" William shouted.

"Wheredidthat moonlightcomefrom?" Volteer queeried.

Spyro and Cynder were startled.

"What's wong, Mommy?" Chrisala asked.

"When I thought of the word 'nexus'," The Black dragoness stated, "This light appeared. But why?"

"Hmmm..." Cyril mumbled. "Perhaps it's a sign from the Ancestors. Maybe they want the child to be named after the idea of the nexus the Monarchs all share here."

"Do you really think that's the case?" Spyro asked.

"I _think_ so, but I can't say that I KNOW so, Spyro." The Ice Guardian replied. "You two will have to decide for yourselves."

The Purple dragon looked into his mate's eyes.

"What do you think, Cyn?" He asked.

The Black dragoness thought for a moment.

"...I've decided." She declared.

"I will name my son... Nexius."

Just after Cynder said this, the moonlight grew even wider, engulfing the entirety of the table and all of the dragons sitting before it. The beings in the bleachers were awestruck.

"By the ancestors!" William exclaimed.

"This is weird!" Blizzard added. "Interesting, but weird."

While most of the other dragons were confused by what had just happened, Spyro and Cynder looked up their son, smiling.

"Nexius." Spyro repeated. "You sure, Cyn?"

"Of course." The Black dragoness answered. "This is our son: Nexius."

"As you wish, Cynder."

That was the night when the first Black dragon of the New Age was born. The night when everything changed.

For better, and worse.


	2. Act 1, Chapter 1

Act 1, Chapter 1

Fourteen years later.

It was the middle of the morning in the city of Warfang.

After years and years of reconstruction and renovation, the ancient dragon city, recently given the title of the City of Commerce, had finally been restored to its former glory. Many dragons, of a whole host of different elements, lived in the powerful city-state, as well as the three recently constructed ones: Glenhaven, Faeshrine, and Aeroshard.

In the past, there was only a single dragon temple, which was near the northern section of the Mushroom forest. But alas, that temple was destroyed in Malefor's wake. However, with the massive rise in the dragon race's population, each of the four City-States had its own temple, so that dragons could be trained all throughout the world.

And in the Temple of Warfang, on one of its many balconies, stood a young Black dragon: Nexius.

The Black dragon was of decent height for his age, and had a thin build, despite being relatively masculine in appearance. He had an array of Silver backspikes growing from his back, and a short Swordblade grew from the tip of his tail. A thick, Silver mane grew from his scalp, which fell down in a mess. His underbelly and wing membranes were a brilliant Golden hue, and his eyes were a bright Purple. Two of his horns grew like Golden lightning bolts above his eyes, while four smaller, Silver horns grew from the back of his head, and curved downwards. He also had four digits on each of his paws, which enabled him to hold things that some of the older dragons couldn't. Four silver stockings were worn on each of the young dragon's paws, going up to his legjoints. Each of the stockings had room for his talons to fit through.

Nexius placed his forepaws upon the protective banister of the balcony that stood just outside his bedroom. He was looking down at the city streets below, observing all of the Dragons and Nondragons as they went about their ways. A few wooden carriages could be seen as well. Most of them were of standard size, but there were a few that were of considerably larger size: These were carriages put into commision so that dragons could fit inside them. The concept of this was invented by the Dragon Guardian Volteer.

Just underneath the balcony that Nexius was standing on, he could see a large, Stone training arena. In the center of the arena, the Dragon Guardian Cyril was teaching a small group of Ice and Water dragons how to perform various techniques with their magic. Several of the older students were scowling with determination as they combatted the training dummies, while the younger ones laughed with delight, as if it were all a game.

Nexius sighed.

"Look at them all." He said solemnly. "They all seem so happy, what with being around others who're the same."

As long as the Black dragon could remember, he had always felt different from other dragons.

Upon looking around over the years, the young dragon saw that there were at least two different kinds of dragons: The considerably older ones, and the younger ones who were born sometime during the last twenty-four years. The older dragons had headcrests, backspikes, tailblades, and the like, while the younger ones lacked all these, and instead had extra appendages, hair in the form of manes, and other subtle differences. As for Nexius, he had a combination of all these features.

Another strange difference was the fact that he could wield **four** elements instead of just one. Each of these two elements belonged to one of his parents as well: Fire and Ice, which belonged to his father, and Wind and Shadow, which belonged to his mother. Chrisala could wield these same four elements, though she was more capable with them than the he was.

But the biggest difference was Nexius's Midnight Black hide. As far as he knew, the only other dragon in the world who had the same scale color was his mother, the dragoness known as Cynder.

After a few moments, all the young dragons started leaving the training arena, and Cyril turned to walk in the opposite direction, heading into the Temple. As this happened, a knocking came from his bedroom door.

"Nexius?" A female voice asked. "You up yet?"

The Black dragon gasped and turned around, looking into his bedchamber.

"Yeah, I just got up a few moments ago!" He shouted to the voice.

"Then hurry up and open the door, man!" A male voice exclaimed. "We've been waitin' on ya!"

"Okay, hold on!"

Nexius walked into his bedroom and approached the doorway.

The young dragon's chamber was surprisingly big, despite being mostly barren. The floor was covered in a thick red carpet, while the walls and ceiling were made of brown stone. A thick red mattress was placed on the east side of the room, while a small desk sat upon the west side. A small bookshelf was placed near the entrance to the balcony, and various knick-knacks were arranged upon the top shelves.

The Black dragon approached the doorway, turned the locking mechanism, and pulled it inwards, revealing two young dragons on the other side. They were Nexius's sister Chrisala, and his friend Quartz.

Chrisala was seventeen years old: Almost an adult. She had a tall and slender, Purple hide, as well as a Magenta underbelly. A Silver swordblade grew from her tailtip, similar to her brother's. She had a Black mane, and six Amethyst horns. An array of Silver rings were worn upon her forelegs.

Quartz was the grandson of the Earth Guardian Terrador, and was fifteen years old. Even though his Emerald Green frame was thick and bulky, he was only about half a head taller than Nexius. He had a deep Brown underbelly, as well as a Light Brown mane, which fell down a short distance from his scalp. Six stump-like horns grew form his eyes, sticking outwards diagonally behind his eyes. He had a vibrant gleam in his Lime Green eyes.

Both young dragons wore a satchel around their necks, and the Purple dragoness had something large in hers.

"Good morning, guys." Nexius said, smiling slightly.

"Morning, Nex!" Quartz replied.

The Purple and Earth dragons walked into the Black one's chamber.

"How're you feeling today, Nexius?" Chrisala asked.

"About the same as I usually do." Her brother answered. She frowned.

"Well that's no good." She stated. "You always seem so quiet and gloomy."

"No I don't." Nexius replied.

"Yeah you do, Nex." The Green dragon added. "No offense, but you don't seem very confident in yourself very often."

"Oh, shut up." The Black dragon snapped. Chrisala chuckled.

"Well, maybe I can give you something to help you gain some of that confidence." She said, smiling.

"What do you mean, Chrisala?" Her brother asked.

"Close your eyes and hold out your paws, and you'll find out."

Shrugging, Nexius sat down on his haunches, and did as his sister asked. The Purple dragoness then pulled something out of her satchel and handed it to the Black dragon.

"Okay, open them."

Nexius opened his eyes, and gasped in surprise. He found himself holding onto a short, Silver-threaded coat, just about his size.

"Wow!" He shouted in delight.

"Happy Hatchday, little brother." Chrisala said, giving Nexius a short hug. "I picked it out for you, after seeing how well it matched those gloves of yours.

"Thanks, Chrissy." He replied, hugging her back.

"I've got something for ya too, Nexius." Quartz added, grinning.

The Earth dragon reached into his satchel and produced a long, Silver scarf. He then wrapped it around the Black dragon's neck.

"What do ya think?" He asked. "Cool, huh?"

"Uh..." Nexius looked down at his scarf, feeling a little awkward. "Thanks, Quartz, but, uh... I'm not really interested in scarves very much..."

"You serious?" Quartz asked, taken aback. "I could've sworn you'd like it, what with your particular fashion sense and all..."

"Give it a rest, Quartz." Chirsala stated. "He can't like **everything**."

Nexius examined the scarf for a short moment.

"Tell you what." He said. "I'll keep the scarf anyway, since you went through the trouble of getting it for me. I'll even wear it for a while today."

"Sounds fine to me." Quartz replied, grinning. "I wonder what the others will think..."

"That reminds me." Chirsala exclaimed. "We need to go find them and meet up with the Guardians: They've been wanting to see us, especially father."

"Dad wants to see us?" Nexius asked. "What for?"

"You'll find out when we see him, little brother." The dragoness answered. "For now, let's get going: Grab your stuff and follow us."

"Okay."

Without wasting too much time, the Black dragon put on his new scarf and coat, and then picked up a Silver satchel off the floor and hung it around his head. The three young dragon then walked out of his chamber, and he locked the door behind himself.

And with that, the three dragons made their way through the Temple.

...

Nexius, Chrisala and Quartz walked through the many corridors and hallways of the Warfang Temple. They were heading for the chamber where their other friends were most likely to be found.

The new temple was radically different in construction from the Old one that used to overlook the Mushroom Forest all those years ago. Unlike the old one, the New Temple was significantly larger, so that it could be shared with the Ruling family of Warfang: The royal family of Clan Cancer, the clan of Memory dragons.

As the three young dragons made their way across the building, many young dragons, of various elements, ran about their way as well, heading off to classes or training sessions. There were also a large number of guards, both Dragon and Nondragon, standing on guard in order to keep peace within the building.

More often than not, some of the other dragons would stop to greet the three dragons, especially Nexius and Chrisala. As children of some of the Guardians, the three of them each came from a family of above-average lineage. The Black and Purple dragons were especially noteworthy, for they were the children of two Great Heroes. As a result, many kids either tried to become good friends with the two, or were extremely jealous of them.

Chrisala and Quartz were moderately content to be given praise, but Nexius felt uneasy.

"What's wrong, little brother?" The Purple dragoness asked.

"How are you two able to take so much kind words?" The Black one qustioned. "Isn't it embarrasing?"

"Oh, come on, Nex!" Quartz chided. "It ain't so bad! And it's not like we let it get to our heads."

Chrisala flashed the Earth dragon a glare.

"What?" He asked, taken aback.

"Oh, you don't let praise get to your head?" She queried. "Then explain why you were strutting around over by the gardens the other day, saying to the girls 'hey, ladies, how's it going? I'm the grandson of Terrador!'"

Quartz immediately turned away from Chrisala.

"Uh... that's unrelated." He stated awkwardly.

"Riiiiight." Chirsala said sarcastically.

Nexius chuckled a little at this.

"Can't we just hurry up and find the others already?" The Earth dragon quickly snapped. "We can't dawdle for too long, you know."

"Oh, so now you want to change the subject." The dragoness declared. "But in any case, you're probably right: Let's go."

After a several more minutes of walking, the three young dragons found themselves on the East wing of the Temple. They came to a stop before a large set of Stone doors: The entrance to the Temple's Labratory.

"Five copper pieces says that Mikey's hard at work, as usual." Quartz commented, smirking.

"I'll see your five copper," Chirsala replied, "And I'll raise you another five, in the event that James is in there too, helping him out some."

"I doubt that." The Earth dragon declared. "Jamey's not one for dirty work during the morning."

"So, it's a bet then."

"You're on!"

"Why don't we just open the doors and find out?" Nexius asked.

"Fine by me." Quartz stated.

Without another word, the Earth dragon pushed one of the stone doors open, and the three dragons walked into the Labratory.

The labratory was a large stone chamber, consisting of two floors. It was often used for classes involing various studies on Biology and Geography.

A series of wood, metal and stone tables were laid out in large, rectangular patterns all across the two floors. The second floor was only half as large as the first one, and was exposed so that dragons could fly up to it, with a metal banister installed to keep things from falling down. Two spiral staircases, one on each side of the chamber, connected the two floors together, so that landlocked creatures could traverse between the two. Various chalkboards and sketchboards were strewn about both floors, and a massive supply of beakers, bottles, canisters, and the like were ready for use. A massive number of bookshelves ran along the far walls of the Labratory, all of which had countless atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other such books.

On the lower floor, over by one of the center tables, stood a thinly-built Lightning dragon, whose back was turned away from the three other dragons. He was examining something under a microscope, writing down some notes on a scroll in the meantime, while a large textbook sat open to him off to the side. A few mole attendants were on standby around the dragon, ready to do whatever he commanded.

The Lightning dragon picked up whatever he was examining and handed it to the Mole on the left.

"Bring this back to the Samples table," He stated, "and return with the Sample labeled 'Subject Delta'. And be fleetfooted about it."

"Az you wizh, Zir." The Mole replied.

As the servant walked off with the "Sample", the dragon returned to taking notes. Quartz ran up to the Lightning dragon.

"How's it going, Mikey?" He exclaimed happily.

The Yellow dragon nearly leapt into the floor, yelping in surprise and almost knocking over his equipment.

"ANCESTORS ABOVE!" He shouted.

The Lightning dragon straightened his items, and then turned around to glare angrilly at Quartz.

The dragon was roughly nineteen years old. His build was surprisingly thin for a Lightning dragon, and his tail was unusually long and slender as well. He had a Dark, almost Black mane, which was trimmed short, pulled back into a tiny rat's tail, and held together in a small brown scrunchie. His underbelly was near-Black as well, and so were his eyes, which were covered by a small pair of glass spectacles. He had two thick, near-Black horns, which grew from just above and behind his eyes, and bent upwards, backwards and inwards. A small, Dark Grey bangle was worn on his neck, and four small, Dull grey stockings were worn on each of his paws.

The Earth dragon chuckled awkwardly upon seeing the Yellow one's expression.

"Uh, hi, Mikey." Quartz stuttered. "Doing alright?"

The Lightning dragon groaned in contempt while reaching up to rub his temple with a forepaw.

"First of all," He began, "If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: My name is Michael. Not 'Mike'. Not "Mikey'. MICHAEL."

"Uh, right..." The Green dragon replied.

"Second of all," Michael continued, "I've _also_ told you a million times not to sneak up and surprise me like that, you oafish ignoramus."

"Sorry."

Michael was the oldest grandchild of the Lightning Guardian Volteer, as well as one of the oldest of the younger dragons in the temple. He had recently graduated from the academy with incredibly high marks in Scientific fields, and had gottten a job working as an intern and assistant teacher for the courses on Biology and Lightning magic.

Although Michael was good friends with Chrisala and Nexius, he only partially tolerated Quartz, for a variety of reasons. The most notable of reasons was the fact that their personalities were radically diferent: While Quartz was excitable, Michael was refined. While Quartz always tried to impress dragonesses, Michael preferred to stick to his studies. So, the Lightning dragon considered the Earth dragon "an immature imbecile."

Chrisala and Nexius walked up to the two other male dragons as Michael continued chewing Quartz out.

"How're you doing, Michael?" Nexius asked.

The Yellow dragon glanced over at the Black dragon and his sister, and smiled slightly.

"Ah, Chirsala and Nexius." He declared. "Just the dragons I was wanting to see."

"Good morning." Chirsala greeted. "Sorry to drop in like this, but we-"

Without letting the dragoness finish, Michael grabbed a pair of tweezers off the table and interrupted her.

"Would you two be so kind as to hold out a foreleg, please?" He asked.

"Uh, why?" Nexius asked.

"You'll see in just a moment."

Shrugging, The Purple and Black dragons each held a foreleg towards Michael. The Yellow dragon proceeded to pry a single, small scale off of each of their legs, and place them on individual slides of glass. Nexius and Chrisala both rubbed their legs, groaning in pain.

"What was that about?" Chrisala demanded.

"Sorry about that," Michael replied, "But I've been needing to examine something, and I needed your scales to do it."

As the Yellow dragon started preparing to examine Chrisala's scale under his microscope, the mole servant appeared again, carrying a large, Green scale in a glass case. Michael scooped up the case and sat it down next to the textbook.

"What're you studying?" Quartz asked.

"I'm currently trying to figure out something that's eluded me for quite a while." The Lightning dragon answered.

"What?" Nexius wondered.

"I'm trying to figure out why-"

"Hey Michael!" A voice called out. "I finally found that book you wanted!"

Up on the second floor, a young, Brown-hided dragon was holding a large textbook in his right foreleg, waving it around to get Michael's attention.

"Well, what're you waiting for, James?" The Yellow dragon replied, smiling. "Bring it down!"

The Brown dragon walked towards the nearest staircase and made his way down.

Jame was roughly twelve years old, and the Prince of Clan Cancer. He was a short dragon: Shorter than Nexius. He had a Dark Brown underbelly, and four horns of a mathing hue: Two larger ones were shaped like ram's horns just behind his eyes, and two smaller ones grew like tusks out of his neck. A small, Purple glyph in the shape of a Crab was emblazoned just above each of his hindlegs. He had a small, Sky Blue mane, and his eyes were an Azure hue. A long, elegant Gold cape was drapped over his torso, and a series of small Gold rings were decorated on his horns, each of which had a small Pearl embedded into the side.

Even though James was technically a prince, he was only the younger of Queen Veros's two children, the older one being his brother Estabon, who was selected to be the next one to take the throne. Since the younger Prince didn't have the pressures of eventually taking on responcibity as a leader, he liked hanging out with Nexius and the others. He also shared the Black dragon's interest in finely made clothing.

The Memory dragon walked up to the other young dragons and placed the textbook on the table beside the other one.

"What're you doing here at this time, Jamey?" Quartz asked.

"I was helping Michael out." He answered, smiling. "He says he's begun looking into why a dragon's scale color closely matches their element."

"Aha!" Chrisala exclaimed. "Pay up, Quartz: You owe me ten copper."

The Earth dragon handed over the money, grumbling the whole time, while the Yellow and Brown dragons looked on, confused.

"What's this about?" James queried.

"They had a little bet as to whether or not you were here." Nexius answered.

"Whatever." Micheal stated, turning back to the table. "I need to examine this scale: It just doesn't seem to make sense."

"What? Nexius asked. "What doesn't make sense?"

"Why exactly is it that a dragon's scale color depends on the type of magic they possess?" The Yellow dragon queried. "Or maybe, it's the other way around. For example: This scale, which happens to be Terrador's, is Green, and Terrador's element is Earth. A Red scale would belong to a Fire dragon, a Blue scale would belong to a Water or Ice dragon, and so on."

"Okay."

"Now, after studying the complex anatomy of the average dragon, I cannot for the life of me find an organ responcible for the control of magic."

"Well, we've always been taught that magic is controlled by a special type of energy inside each and every dragon." Chrisala stated. "And that energy is charged by Green Gems, just like how our health is charged by Red Gems."

"Correct." Michale stated. "BUT, if that is the case, why is it that different dragons with the exact same color sheme and element, can all have different levels of skill with said element? And why are they forever locked into using that element? Why can't, for example, a Yellow-colored dragon possess the Memory element instead of the Lighting element? And for that matter, why couldn't a dragon wield more than one element?"

"Chrissy and I can wield more than one." Nexius pointed out.

"Ah, yes, exactly!" The Yellow dragon exclaimed. "For some unknown reason, dragons with Black or Purple scales possess the ability to wield multiple elements. So, it's possible that magical energy is stored inside of a dragon's scales. However, I cannot say whether that theory is correct or incorrect. So, that's why I'm going to find the answer to the mystery by using the scientific method."

"Well, it'll have to wait until later, Mike." Quartz stated.

The Lighting dragon groaned.

"There he goes again..."

"No, you're not listening." Chirsala stated. "The Guardians are waiting for us to see them. If we don't all get over there soon, they'll be steamed."

"The Guardians need to see **me** as well?" Michael asked. "Don't they know that I'm in the middle of preparing my research, and beginning my investigations into this Element-quandrary? I'm behind schedule as it is: What's so important that my work has to wait even further?"

The Purple dragoness sighed.

"I dont make the rules, Michael." She stated. "I'm just the messenger."

The Lighting dragon rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine." He placed a bookmark in his textbook and turned towards his servants. "Make sure that my materials are left untouched until I get back to continue."

"Yez, Zir." The two Moles said in unison.

Michael then turned away from the table and towards the others.

"Okay, let's go."

"Alright."

Chrisala turned around and started leading the other four dragons out of the Labratory. As they left, James spoke to Nexius.

"By the way, Nex: Happy hatchday." He said happily.

"Thanks, James." The Black dragon said happily.

"Ah, yes." Michael added. "That's today, isn't it. Happy Hatchday: Sorry that I forgot to get you something."

"No, that's alright." Nexius replied.

"If you say so."

...

The five young dragons walked up to the metal double-doors that led to the Main Chamber of the Temple. A pair of Soldiers nodded towards Chrisala as she led the group up to the doorway.

"The Guardians have called for five of us." She declared. "Please let us through."

"As you wish, milady." The guards said in unison.

The metal doors were slowly opened, and the five dragons walked through. Nexius looked uneasilly at each of the two soldiers as they saluted him as well.

The Main Chamber was a large, circular room that was shared between the Guardians of Warfang, and the King and Queen of the city.

At total of six Silver cushions and two Golden cushions were arranged along the Red stone walls of the room, and a pool of Green water sat at the center. Queen Veros and King Avalon sat upon the Golden cushions, while the silver ones were occupied by the Guardians: Volteer of Lightning, Terrador of Earth, Cyril of Ice, Veladina of Memory, Clotho of Time, and Spyro of Fire.

Veladina was a middle-aged dragoness, with a surprisingly rotund figure for a Memory dragoness. She had a low Pink hide, with a vibrant green underbelly. She had Cerulean eyes, and two thick, Brown horns, whick curled directly down the sides of her head. Her short, Green mane was tied back in a bunn upon her head. A thick pair of metal Gauntlets decorated her forelegs.

Clotho, on the other hand, was a slender, Golden-hided dragoness in her late twenties. She had silver eyes, and two short, Silver horns, which grew towards the front of her snout like a pair of small Lightning bolts. Her Sea Green mane fell down to the bottom of her neck, and had a few small, gold beads braided into it.

After Veros took over rulership of Warfang, Veladina, Clotho and Spyro were selected to become Guardians, so that there was a total of Six: One for each of the elements of Light. It seemed odd for Spyro to take up such ranks, because many had expected him to take over as Warfang's highest legal authority when he became a grown man. However, the Purple dragon had made his decision, and he stuck with it.

The five younger dragons walked up to the Guardians and two Monarchs and bowed their heads.

"Greetings, young ones." Queen Veros declared. "We've been awaiting your arrival."

Veros, as a Memory dragoness, had a bright Pink hide, and a Dark Brown underbelly. She had five slender, Hot Pink horns, all of which curled along the side of her head and down her neck. Her long, Sky Blue mane was neatly groomed, and a pair of spectacles sat upon her beaklike snout. She had a pair of Purple, crablike glyphs just above her hindlegs, and a thick, Golden cape covered her back. A short, Silver crown sat upon her head, which as emblazoned with a large Crab symbol, as well as a total of eight Large, shining Pearls.

"What did you need all of us for, your majesty?" Nexius asked.

"Well, for starters," Terrador began, "As most of you may know, a very important date shall be arriving very shortly."

"Are you referring to the upcoming Council, Granddad?" Quartz queried.

"Aye."

Ever since the twelve clans were established fourteeen years ago, each of the twelve Monarchs would travel to the city of Warfang to attend a special treating: Fittingly enough, it was called the Council of the Monarchs. The Kings and Queens would usually talk about establishing new draconic laws, discuss trading routes, try criminals for commiting international crimes, and the like.

"This year's council is going to be slightly different from the previous ones." The Earth Guardian stated.

"How so?" James questioned.

"Quite recently, a dragonfly arrived from the Mountains of Inferdus, bearing a scroll written by Queen Amouris of Clan Aries. According to its contents, she is requesting the enlistment of a least twelve powerful, yet youthful dragons, all of whom are to meet her at the upcoming Council of the Monarchs. She claims to have sent similar scrolls to various other dragon territories, all asking for the same thing."

"What's she asking other nations for?" Chrisala queried. "Couldn't she find the dragons among her own people?"

"Apparentlynot." Volteer answered. "Accordingtoherscroll, herassetsareseverelylacking intheregardsofmagicalability. Sheisindireneed ofmagicalassistance, sincenoneofherpeople arecapableofaiding herontheirown."

"Uh..." A few of the young dragons stammered, confused.

"Grandfather means that she apparently needs dragons of multiple elements." Michael clarified. "She presumably only has access to Pain dragons."

"Oh." The others said in unison.

Volterr frowned in annoyance, while a few of the other Guardians chuckled.

"In any case," Cyril declared, "We are curious as to what her intentions may be. She is trustworthy enough, as her actions during the battle of Dante's Freezer has shown, but it's still a mystery, as she said she'd only specify at the Council. So, in case her goals truly are benign, we have decided to select a few young dragons with incredible skill in their respective elements to lend the Aries Queen their aid."

"We are planning to make an announcement that we're looking for volunteers," Spyro added, "But we have decided to see, since you are all well-trained in magical ability, if any of you would like to aid Amouris in her quest."

The five young dragons looked amongst themselves.

"Now, don't think that this is a guarantee." Terrador stated. "It's entirely possible that the other Monarchs are selecting dragons to aid Amouris this very moment, and Amouris specifies that only one of each element will do. It may come to be that only one or two of you all will be able to go."

"Well..." Quartz replied. "I guess I could give it a shot, Granddad. It would be nice to get away from school for a while..."

"Don't think that you'll all be getting out of doing your schoolwork because of this." The Earth Guardian replied. "You'll all have to catch up on whatever assignments you've missed once you get back."

"Aw, man!" The younger Green dragon groaned.

"This has certainly picqued my interest," Michael stated, "But it would get in the way of my work, and I don't want to end up missing even more. So, I suppose I'll only go if this quest of the Pain Queen's doesn't take too long to accomplish."

"This sounds pretty interesting." Chrisala commented. "Maybe I'll give it a shot..."

"Can I try too, Mother?" James asked.

"Hmm..." Veros thought for a moment. She then looked towards her husband. "What do you think, dear?"

"Oh, we'll let the boy give it a try too." Avalon replied. "But only if it's discovered that Amouris' quest won't take more than a week or two."

"Great! Thank you, Mother and Father!" The young Prince exclaimed.

"Mind your manners, James." The King scolded.

"Oh..." The young Memory dragon stammered. "Sorry."

Throughout all of this, Nexius had remained silent. He only watched as the other young dragons thought over the thought of meeting with the Queen of Clan Aries for this mysterious goal.

_I probably wouldn't be what Queen Amouris is looking for_, he thought to himself.

"Everything's decided, then." Terrador declared. "You all shall arrive at the Coliseum on the day of the Council, and group up with any other young dragons who've also decided to answer Amouris's call. Until then, Michael, Quartz, your parents shall be informed that you've been allowed to volunteer for this."

"As you wish, Granddad." Quartz replied, smiling.

"As you wish, sir." Michael said at the same time.

"Good. You may all leave to attend to your devices." Spyro declared.

The five young dragons turned to leave the Chamber.

As Nexius and Chrisala were walking along with the others, their father spoke again.

"Hold on for a moment, Nexius, Chrisala. There's something I want to talk to you two about."

The young Purple and Black dragons stopped and turned back around.

"Bye, guys." Chrisala whispered to the others.

"We'll see you two later." Quartz replied.

Soon, the two young dragons stood before the eight adults, looking directly at their father Spyro.

"What is it, father?" Nexius asked.

Spyro chuckled.

"Well, to begin with," Terrador stated, "we would all like to wish you a very merry Hatchday, Nexius."

"Um, thank you." The Black dragon replied quietly.

"I would say that your mother wishes you a happy day as well," The Purple Guardian added, "But she told me that she'd like to tell you herself."

Nexius's eyes beamed.

"Mother's coming to Warfang?" Chrisala exclaimed.

"Of course." Cyrus answered. "She'll be arriving to attend the Council this year."

"But... She hardly **ever** comes to Warfang."

"Well, she recently found herself lacking any massive obligations, so she decided to attend this year." Spyro answered. "Your mother sent me a scroll telling me she wished to see both you and your sister there as well."

Chrisala smiled, while Nexius was overcome with joy.

For reasons that eluded the young dragon, his mother Cynder lived in Aeroshard with the dragons of Clan Aquarius, the clan of Wind. The Black dragoness was responcible for keeping the Wind dragons, as well as the other clans of Dark dragons, under constant check and surveillance. For the last fourteen years, Chrisala and Nexius would spend a small part of the year living in the Southeastern dragon city with their mother, and the rest of the year with their father in Warfang. It was only rarely did Nexius see his mother and father standing in the same room for longer than an hour.

"When will mother be arriving?" The young Black dragon asked excitedly.

"You should be able to see her on the day of the Council." Spyro answered. "And don't worry: You mother's promised to take some special time off from her duties so she cand spend quality time with the two of you."

"Great!" Chrisala shouted. "I've been wanting to show Mom what I've learned to do with the Wind element. And I'll bet Nexius has been wanting to show her it too."

The Purple dragoness nudged her brother.

"You know what I'm talking about, right Nex?"

"Uh..." The Black dragon stammered. "Yeah, sure."

Spyro chuckled again.

"Well, why don't you head on over to the training area to practice?" He asked, smiling. "It'd really impress your mother if you can perform the same amazing feats with Wind that she learned when she was around your age."

"Okay." The two young dragons bowed to the Purple Guardian. "We'll see you later, father."

And with that, Chrisala and Nexius left the chamber. Spyro sighed with satisfaction as they left.

"They're wonderful, aren't they?" He asked the others.

"Your two children certainly seem well-behaved, mi'lord." Veros stated. "I'm sure that each of us can hardly wait to see what great tidings they'll bring to the world, once they come of age."

Spyro snorted with amusement.

Even though Spyro was only a guardian, for the last twenty-four years, he was heralded far and wide as one of the greatest dragons to ever live upon the Dragon Realms. Even when the dragons William and Amouris saved him from death during the battle against the resurrected Ice King, the Purple dragon was still praised by the Light dragons of the world, as if he had led the others to victory.

"You don't have to call me that." He replied. "You hold higher authority than I do."

"But you are far more deserving of respect than I, Spyro." The Pink-hided Queen replied. "You're the reason I hold this authority in the first place."

"Still, I only wish to be considered as high-ranking as the other Guardians." The Purple dragon stated. "That's why I handed out authority to those who could make better use of it."

"Not to be rube," Clotho commented, "But shouldn't we be discussing a more important matter? For instance, the Council is only a few days away: We need prepare accordingly."

"Thatiscorrect." Volteer added. "Andthenthere'sthematter ofQueenAmouris. Westilldon'tknow whatexactlysheintends todowiththeyoungdragons she'srequestedofallofthe dragonterritories."

"I don't see what there is to worry about." Veladina stated. "We can prepare for the coming Council of the Monarchs just as we always have. And as for Amouris: Whatever she wishes to do, it will be made apparent at the Council. And should any of us, or the Monarchs, wish to decline, than that's no doubt fine with her, depending on the urgency. It's as simple as that."

"I suppose so." The Ice Guardian responded. "As long as we're related to the subject, my son William will be arriving at least a day and a half ealier than the other Monarchs. I belive he's bringing his wife and children along as well: In a recent letter he sent me, he claims to be looking for a new young dragon to train."

"Couldn't he just look for a young Water or Ice dragon in the Central Islands?" Veladina wondered. "There certainly must be plenty."

"No, I'm pretty sure he already has a certain _someone_ in mind..." Cyril winked at Spyro. "Isn't that right, Spyro?"

"Oh, that's right, alright." The Purple Guardian replied, grinning. "He probably won't agree right away, though."

...

As most of the other dragons went about their way across the streets of Warfang, a single, solitary dragon slid in and out of the crowds, doing his best not to draw any attention to himself.

The dragon was a little over twenty-four years old, and had a moderately thick build without being bulky like an Earth dragon. He had a Dark Grey hide, and a Blood Red underbelly. He had two thick, Crimson horns on either side of his face, which curled directly backwards for a short while: The same horns that belonged to his father, grandfather, and possibly his great grandfather, as far as he knew. A series of Ruby Red backspikes grew along his back, and a small, Amethyst Trident grew out of his tail. The dragon had a pair of eyes as red as his own blood, and a small, black bit of hair grew out of his chin. Almost every inch of the dragon's body was coved in a mysterious, Dark Grey energy, which he was able to fasten together into a solid-enough form to resemble a large set of robes, which even came with a hood with slots for the dragon's horns. Lastly, a swordsheath of medium length was strapped to his left flank, parallel to the ground.

The dragon did not know what his true name was, so he had to give himself his own name: Cain.

For over two decades, Cain had been living in secret on the streets of Warfang. He had few allies over the years: Most of them claimed that Cain was the sole child of two powerful Dark dragons. His father nearly succeeded in bringing about the deaths of Spyro and Cynder with a group known as The Furies, and his mother tried to avenge his father's death by aiding the spirit of a fallen Ice King. His mother, a dragoness known as Vitari, had managed to produce Cain's egg just prior to her untimely demise, and tried to leave him in the care of some of her "relatives" in the dragon city, only for those "relatives" to be slain in turn by a vengeful Red dragon.

What happened after this event, and whether or not any of this was based on fact, Cain didn't know.

What Cain **did** know, however, was that Dark dragons seemed to be welcome in Warfang, as he could tell. So, he quietly lived life as a common pauper, taking on odd jobs here and there across the city for most of his life. He never tried to make friends or companions: He didn't require any. He never saught love: He was content living on his own. And he rarely worried about education: He managed to teach himself to read and write at a young age, and educated himself on the history of the dragon race by buying various old Tomes and textbooks, all of which he kept in a small wooden carriage, hidden away by a pair of large towers on the northern side of the city.

There often came times when Cain had to fight to defend himself from thieves. The Dark dragon found that he was able to take control of his enemies' very blood, and force them to battle **themselves**. However, more often than not, he preferred to fight in a more unorthadox method: With a sword. Some time ago, Cain found that he had a knack for smithery, and spent a large portion of his time and money by both learning the art of forging bladed weapons, and by practicing wielding the weapons he made.

When he first began practicing with his weapons at a young age, he took note of how dragons, as quadrapedal beings, couldn't properly fight on the ground with a weapon in their forepaws. However, while flying through the air, a dragon's forepaws were left unused, thus enabling them to wield a bladed weapon and still fight effectively. After years of practice, the Dark dragon had invented his own fighting style.

Whether via his magic or his swordsmanship, whenever his enemies begged for mercy, Cain released them from his control, and he let them flee with their lives.

That's how the Dark dragon's life had been for twenty-four years. And he never expected anything to change, for he didn't wish for it to.

But during this particular afternoon, Cain couldn't help but wonder something.

About once a year, dragons from allover the world would come to treat in a large Coliseum on the southern side of Warfang. And during the last few days, gossip had begun to spread among the town's poorer population that something unusual was going to take place at this year's treating: Something that would go down in history

Curious as to what was going on, Cain decided to travel to this Coliceum, to see what he could find.

_I wonder what strange occurances could come about, _he thought to himself. _In any case, I had best investigate this side of the city beforehand, incase I need to make a hasty retreat back to my abode._

And with that, Cain made his way towards the Coliseum.

He slowly walked to and fro through the crowds, careful not to be noticed by any of them for even a brief moment of time. And he didn't allow his face to show any kind of emotion, nor did he make a sound.

Cain had perfected this techinique throughout all his life. He allowed no one to see him, hear him, or sense him in any way.

He was like a Shadow amongst a sea of Light: A Deep, unrecognizable Shadow.

And as this silent dragon, this animateds silhouette, continued on his way, he faded in and out of the crowds, making sure that no one followed him on his way to the Coliseum.

When the Council arrived a short time later, Cain's life would be forever altered, as would the fate of the entire Dragon Race.

...

**Greetings, friends and loved ones.**

**First off, I'd like to thank Ozymandiaz for helping me come up with the ideas and plotpoints that you'll see take place in this sidestory. Next, I'd like to thank Dardarax for helping me come up with the character Michael (You helped more than you realize, Dardy :P).**

**Lastly, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for spreading the word of my main series The Legend of Rune, and its Prequel series, The Legend of William. With any luck, this particular story will help bridge the gap between the two.**

**Until next time, this is Deeth Irteen signing out.**

**Tenebra ecce Veritas.**


	3. Act 1, Chapter 2

Act 1, Chapter 2

The next day.

The Isle of Brizl'dur was the largest of all the Central Islands, nearly three times the size of a normal island. It was composed of a large forest, a pair of small mountains, and a few port towns on various sides of the island. And at the center stood a massive Stone Castle: The castle belonging to the Royal family of Clan Pisces, the clan of Water.

On the northern side of Brizl'dur, was the northernmost port village, the town of Avu-nal.

Avunal was composted of around a dozen blocks of wood-and-straw huts, surrounded by dirt roads. A small marketplace stood in the center of Avu-nal, and a massive boat docking bay ran along the northernmost edge of the town. A little over two hundred villagers inhabited the town, half of them consiting of Water dragons, and the other half consisting of Cats, Moles, and even a race known as the Lagamorphs.

The Lagamorphs were a race of bipedal, Rabbit-like creatures, similar in height to the Cats. Lagamorphs hailed from the massive Valley on the Southern Continent. They shared similar customs to the Cheetahs and Lions, though were mainly Vegetarian in terms of diet. Like the Cats, the Lagamorphs had their own tribes in their homeland, but a great majority of them also lived and worked in many of the Dragon cities and settlements, such as Avu-nal.

In the center of the port, three large Wood-and-Metal ships with sails the color of Soft Sea-Green were being loaded with various supplies, goods, and even a few Carriages. Various sailors of varying races were hard at work preparing for the Ships' journey across the Ocean.

And just before the main Vessel, observing the preparations as they took place, stood a large dragon with a Black-and-White hide, a satisfied grin upon his muzzle.

It was King William, of Clan Pisces.

William was now a little over forty years old. He had grown into a large, almost burly dragon, and was at least a head taller than the average dragon. He wore a thick, Sea Green cape over his torso, and various Gold and Silver rings were decorated on his talons. A large, Bronze crown sat upon his head, which was emblazoned with the images of Blue Tear drops, and a total of Twelve Moonstones. His Ram-like horns were covered in Bronze rings, each studded with a smaller Moonstone, and the same could be said for his curved-moon tailblade.

William's life had been throught with trials and tribulations during the last twenty-four years.

When he first arrived in the Dragon Realms all that time ago, he learned he was a prophecied being known as The Protector. He had become good friends with Spyro and Cynder, two dragons he once believed to be beings of his own creation. William also learned he was the son of Cyril, the Guardian of Ice, and was also the descendant of a long line of Royalty. He even fell in love with an Ice dragoness named Blizzard, and eventually married her, becoming Queen of Clan Pisces.

The Black-and-White dragon's life wasn't a complete blessing, however. William had to contend with forces of Vice, in the form of the Black dragon Zevron, the son of Malefor and leader of the second generation of The Furies, as well as the resurrected Spirit of an ancient and wrathful Ice dragon known as Dante. He had fought alongside Spyro and Cynder during these times of crises, and even became allies with a young Purple dragoness named Amy, who was later renamed Amouris, the Queen of Clan Aries.

Even when times became stressful, William always had Blizzard at his side. And very soon, the two dragons would head north to the city of Warfang for the fourteenth Council of the Monarchs.

_An entire year is far too long,_ He said to himself. _We really should make these trips more often._

The King of Pisces continued smiling from his spot on the docks as the sailors continued loading the three ships.

Soon, a female voice came from behind William.

"THERE you are! We've been looking for you all day."

The Black-and-White dragon turned around to see a Water dragoness roughly close to his age walk forwards, followed by two young dragons and half a dozen soldiers.

The Dragoness was his wife Blizzard, and the young dragons were Raiden and Snow, their two children. All three of the Water dragons had a small, Blue Tear drop glyph upon the tops of their heads.

Blizzard's slim figure was covered in a Deep Blue dress, which had various Green, hexagonal pattern along the edges. A crown similar in design to her husband's sat upon her head, and a pair of Gold chains was wrapped around her horns. The necklace that William had bought for her all that time ago hung around her neck like always, and was joined by a small, Bronze medallian with a large Opal embedded in the center.

Raiden was seventeen years old, and had a muscular build. His scales were Ocean Blue, and his underbelly and Wing membranes were bright yellow. He had a pair of Silver, diagonally horns just behind his Deep Blue eyes, and had a Dark Grey mane, which was braided with small, Silver beads. A Sea Green cape covered his back, and a pair of Dark Green stockings decorated his forelegs.

Snow was Raiden's younger sister. She had a slim figure, like her mother, and was rather short in stature. She had Light Blue scales, and a Silver underbelly and wing membranes. She had two Silver, ram-like horns on either side of her head, and her eyes were a deep Emerald color. Her mane was long and Dark Green in color. A small, Silver Tiara rested upon her head, and had three Moonstones embedded into it. Her torso was covered in an Dark Green dress, with small flower symbols etched into the edges.

The Queen and her two children came to a stop before the Water King, and he chuckled.

"Good morning, love." He greeted, lightly kissing Blizzard on the cheek. The adult Water dragoness only sneered, which left him confused. "What's wrong?"

"Your children have been looking for you all morning, William." Blizzard scolded.

"You promised you'd teach me how to perform those combat techniques, Dad." Raiden added.

"And you're also supposed to help me with my Water magic." Snow added.

The Black-and-White dragon frowned a little.

"Now, now, don't assume I forgot." He said reassuringly. "I've had to attend to the preparations for our trip to Warfang. Being the King of an entire nation is very demanding work, you know."

"It looked to me like you were just standing around watching, Daddy." Snow replied.

William grimaced.

"Um... That was supervising, dear." He stated.

"Right..." Raiden said sarcastically. "Whatver you say, Dad."

The King sighed as his family laughed.

"But in all seriousness," Blizzard stated once she calmed down, "You need to take some time to attend to Raiden and Snow soon. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do." William responded. "I just want to be sure everything's taken care of: It'll take us at least a day and a half to reach the Northern continent alone, not to mention the time it'll take to cross the Plains."

The Queen looked around at the docks around the Royals. The vessel on the far right seemed to be all but finished, and the other two were well under way as well.

"Well, everything seems to be going fine." She stated. "We're planning to leave at the crack of dusk, right?"

"Exactly." The Black-and-White dragon asnwered.

"Well then, here's an idea: I'll take over 'supervising' the sailors, while you take our children to the training grounds on the far side of the village and give them the training you promised them."

"Uh..."

"Please, Daddy?" Snow asked.

William chuckled again.

"Sure." He declared, smiling. "Let's get going."

"Thank you, Daddy!" The dragoness exclaimed.

Snow ran forwards and hugged her father, and the King turned towards the West.

"Alright, follow me, you two."

Snow followed closely behind William, while Raiden looked up at Blizzard.

"Thanks for helping, Mom." He whispered, grinning. "We've been trying to get his attention all day."

The Queen chuckled.

"You're welcome, Raiden." She replied.

The Prince quickly turned back towards his father and sister, and ran after them to catch up, his cloak flapping in the wind as he ran. The adult Water dragoness sighed as she watched her family leave.

"William is such a goof." She said to no one in particular. "Supervising... really."

...

As The King and his two heirs walked across the village, almost every villager they passed by stopped to either salute of bow their heads to them. A small squardon of Cat and Rabbit soldiers followed close behind, keeping a steady eye on the royal family.

As they walked onwards, William started talking.

"So Raiden, what was it exactly you wanted me to show you, again?" He asked. "I can't seem to remember."

"You said you'd show me how to perform those techinques you perfected while fighting on Dante's Freezer when you were younger." The male Water dragon answered. "I've been telling everyone about it."

"And you also said you'd teach me how to use my magic to create a Wall of Ice around myself." Snow added. "You claimed you could do it, even though you don't have Ice or Water as an element."

"Alright, then." The King stated. "I'll show you two what I know as soon as we get to the arena."

The two continued on their way, when the Black-and-White dragon spoke again.

"You know, you two may be getting a new training companion soon."

"We will?" The two heirs asked, astonished.

"Yep. A few weeks ago, I sent a letter to my old companion Spyro of Warfang. I told him that I've expressed interest in teaching his two children everything I know about Water magic. He replied by saying his daughter Chrisala's already surprisingly adept with Ice magic, so she wouldn't require the training. But his son Nexius, however, could use some help, since he's been struggling to control his magical energy. So, if he concedes, when we leave Warfang, Nexius will be coming back with us."

"Cool." Raiden exclaimed. "I've been wanting to get to know him better."

"Me too." The King added. "Though I've also wanted to see more of Chrisala. Those two kids of Spyro and Cynder's have always been rather interesting, and it's a shame I couldn't be around them more often."

"Will we meet him at the Council this year, Daddy?" Snow asked.

"Possibly. Queen Amouris has sent out various requests for young dragons of various elements to come and meet at the Council. She wants the group to accomplish some sort of task, but what that may be is a mystery at the moment."

"Will we be able to go on this quest, Dad?" Raiden queried. "It'd be nice to see more of the world for once in a while."

William thought for a moment.

"Well, uh... That depends on several factors." He stated.

"Like what?" His daughter wondered.

"For starters, we'd have to see if you mother would allow you to be away from home for this strange task."

"Right..." The dragoness stated, frowning. "Mom..."

"Second of all, at least one other boy who lives in the Castle has asked to volunteer for the task too, so you may have some competition in that regard. Third of all, it's possible that a few Water dragons from other Realms are going to volunteer as well, so you may have even **more** competition."

"Oh."

Raiden frowned, which made his father sigh.

"I'm not saying that you won't be able to volunteer." The King reassured. "I'm just saying that there'll be some obstacles in the way. Do you get where I'm coming from, Raiden."

"I guess so..." Raiden commented.

"Alright then." William said, smiling. "And just so you know, I'll talk to you mother about letting you volunteer for Amouris' quest. And if it should happen that you can't go, if Nexius does indeed become my pupil, I'll take you, him..."

The King momentarilly looked at his daughter

"...And even you, Snow, with me on a little trip around the realms, and we'll see the world while we're training. What do you say?"

Raiden's eyes beamed, while Snow smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Dad." The two said happily.

"You're both very welcome." The Black-and-White dragon replied. "Now come on: We've got training to do."

...

Later that day, at the Mountains to the very far north.

The northern mountains of the Northern continent stretched far across the length of the land, extending from the tip of the massive Jungle to the West, all the way to the enormous Forest to the East. Each of these mountains was covered in snow, and a massive blizzard blew across the range, keeping the mountains forever blanketed in frozen water and snow.

And in the very center of the mountian range, stood a mountain so massive, so incredibly wide and tall, that it appeared to reach up into the sky and vanish into the heavens. This powerful monument could be seen from every edge of the mountain range, making everything around appear to be a mere foothill by comparison.

This monument and mountain range, though it still lacked a proper name, was the home and property of the dragon Inferdus, King of Aries, the clan of Pain.

For more than two decades, the Pain dragons of the world were hard at work making a home out of the Snow-covered mountains, though the massive monument served as their hub. At the base of this monument was a large cave opening, which led deep into the darkness of the mountain. A small network of corridors was carved into the very base of the mountain, and dozens of Earth and Fauna dragons from far and wide were hard at work carving even more.

Most of the older corridors were carved downwards, and came to a stop around something that could not be explained.

Just underneath the massive mountain, was a crevice in the earth. The Crevice was impossibly deep, and almost as wide as the base of the mountain itself. Deep inside the crater, there came a feint green light, and the ethereal sound of magic could be heard flowing constantly in and out of existance. Four massive platforms, one for each of the four directions, were along the sides of the crater, with massive bunches of Gem clusters of various colors embedded into each of them. The area was kept illuminated by a series of torches with magical Green fire: A spell devised by the dragons of Clan Sagittarius.

The Platform to the north was decorated like an elegant bedchamber.

The stone floor of the plaform was mostly covered in an elegant gold rug, and massive piles of gold and precious stones were placed here and there. A few dresser drawers, shelves, and desks were placed about the platform, mostly covered and/or filled with Books, pieces of clothing, jewelry, and the like. At the very center of the Platform was a massive, Golden mattress, upon which lay two powerful dragons, a male and a female.

The male dragon was in his early thirties, and had a thick, large, burly hide. His scales were Dark Grey, and his underbelly was Bright red. He had Crimson eyes, and a Dark, almost Black mane, which was left unkept and dirty. His five horns were all Bronze in color, and all grew backwards and downwards at angles: The first three were significantly larger and thicker than the other two. A red Glyph glowed on either side of him, both in the shape of Crossed Inifinity Signs.

This was the Pain King, Inferdus.

The dragoness was in her mid-thirties, and was of a short stature. She was slender, yet remarkably curvy, with a larger-than-average rear. Her hide was a Bright Purple, and her underbelly, wing membranes, and talons were all Black in hue. Her Ruby Red mane fell down to the bottom of her neck, and was well-groomed. She had six Silver horns, all of which were placed just behind her eyes, and curled upwards slightly. Her scales were vibrant, and shined wonderously in what little light there was. Not a single scratch, bruise or blemish of any kind was to be found upon her face and body, and every part of her figure smelt of hazelnuts. The dragoness's Hazel eyes were breathtakingly vibrant, and her fangs sparkled a dazzling white whenever they could be seen.

This dragoness was none other than Amouris, the Queen of the Aries clan.

Inferdus and Amouris had just recently finished a short round of love-making, and were now lying together on their bed, the King's left foreleg wrapped around his mate's body. The Dark Grey dragon was rubbing the softest spot of Amouris' belly, and he smiled as he sniffed her mane. The Purple dragoness, however, was unhappy: She silently looked up at the ceiling high above them.

"So..." Inferdus began, turning his figure around to look directly at Amouris. "Do you feel anything this time, my love?"

The dragoness sighed.

"No." She said solemnly. "I don't feel anything within me. I am empty."

Inferdus's happy expression instantly became a sneer.

"I see..." He stated, scowling.

"I'm sorry, Inferdus." The dragones said sadly. "I suppose that these things take time."

"Take time?" The King repeated.

Inferdus immediately let go of Amouris, pulled his foreleg free of her body, and got up onto his feet. He then walked off the bed and towards one of the dressers.

"How long exactly have we been married, Amouris?" The King asked.

"Uh... I'd say about fifteen years." The Purple dragoness answered. "Why do you wonder this, dear?"

"Fifteen years." Inferdus repeated, still looking away from the dragoness. "Amouris, when I took you on as my mate, I was left with the impression that a dragoness of your amazing... appearance, would be a fine mother for my children."

"I know..." Amouris replied quietly.

"Furthermore, I was the very first of all the dragons selected to become a Monarch of the twelve clans to be married, so I expected to have the oldest children of them all..." The Dark Grey dragon turned around to look directly at his mate. "However, it's been fifteen years, and I now find myself the only Monarch with no heirs to inherit his rulership."

The Purple dragoness looked down at herself sadly.

"I know..." She repeated, tearing up slightly.

Inferdus sighed.

"Amouris, this has gone on for far too long." He declared. "We must have mated at least a thousand times since we married, and not once have you become pregnant."

"I..." The dragoness stammered, snifling. "I'm sorry, Inferdus. I really am. I keep begging to the Ancestors to bless me with fertility, but..."

The Dark Grey dragon shook his head no.

"Begging to the dead doesn't work." He stated. "The dead can't help you: They're nothing more than spirits."

Amouris looked away from her mate, frowning.

"Amouris," He continued, "I'm afraid that I'm running out of options. At the rate that this is going, I will never have an heir, and the Aries Royal bloodline will end before it even begins. I cannot allow this to happen. It is clear to me that you are unable to reproduce. Because of this, I have to make a very painful decision."

"What..." The Queen stammered. "What are you going to do?"

"Amouris..." Inferdus said adamantly. "...I am going to have to find another mate: One who can provide me with children."

The Purple dragoness gasped in horror.

A great weight overcame her heart, and she proceeded to whimper, tears pouring from her face.

"B... But..." She stuttered, barely able to form words in her sadness. "W... What ab..bout me? Are you j...just going to toss m...me away like trash?"

Inferdus frowned.

"You act as though I'm happy with this." He replied. "Do not get me wrong: I still love you dearly, and I'm more than happy to keep you as my wife. I just need to have children to inherit my throne and fortune, and you're physically incapable of this. So, I'm going to take on a second mate so she can provide me with an heir or two."

After hearing this, the Purple dragoness's sorrow slowly became replaced with anger.

"So..." Amouris stated. "You intend to have **two** wives."

The King grinned.

"It could be a very rewarding experience for the both of us." He declared. "While I'm searching for a new mate, I shall pick out a dragoness whom _you_ find attractive as well."

The Queen became completely filled with anger.

"Are you suggesting I should change my preferences for you?" She exclaimed.

Inerdus cocked an eye at this.

"'Change'?" He repeated. "That's certainly an odd thing to say. I happen to recall a time, back when you were younger, when you-"

The dragoness gasped.

"Th.. That was just for one night." She stammered defensively. "I never meant for it to be..."

"Oh, calm down, Amouris." Inferdus reassured. "As I've said, I still love you dearly, and and am perfectly accepting of whatever you may wish to do. That's why I've allowed you to send out scrolls to all the other Monarchs to ask for a few young dragons to aid you."

"Right... But still, I don't wish to alter my orientation just so you can keep me and still have another lover."

Inferdus frowned.

"Perhaps I can strike a deal with you, my dear." He stated.

"And what would that be?"

"I'll refrain from seeking another lover until after your quest is over. In the meantime, we shall continue mating. And if, by some miracle, you becom impregnated, I'll abandon my goal, and you shall be my one and only wife. Are you comfortable with this?"

Amouris thought to herself on this for a moment.

She had yet to tell anyone what her plans were: Not even Inferdus himself. She had intended to keep it a secret until it was too late for anyone to object. If word had gotten out now what she was planning, she would be the laughing stock of the entirety of the Dragon Realms.

And then there was the matter of Inferdus's planned unfaithfulness.

Even if the King claimed that he intended to keep Amouris as a mate alongside the new one, it still felt like he was going to betray her feelings all the same. And it was all the more insulting to think that he could get away with hurting her in this way by telling her about it in person. But then again, Amouris didn't want to lose Inferdus's favor. She had gone to great lengths to make herself appear attractive enough to the Dark Grey dragon to get him to select her to be his mate, and stopped short of whoring herself out to him. Inferdus was the only dragon who could help her in her ultimate goal, and she would be forever blocked away from the valuable resources he provided for her if she fell out of favor.

The Purple dragoness sighed in defeat.

"I accept your deal, my love." She said sadly.

The King grinned.

"Thank you, Amouris." He replied. "I assure you: You cannot possibly stand to suffer from this."

"If you say so..."

After a short moment, the Queen repostioned herself atop the mattress, and spread her hindlegs far apart.

"Would you like to try this again, love?" She asked, eyes pleading.

Inferdus chuckled.

"Of course. You don't have to ask me twice to mate with a brilliant pillar of beauty such as yourself, my love."

The Dark Grey dragon walked back over to the mattress, and climbed on top of Amouris. The King then slid his manhood inside his mate, and the two dragons wrapped their forelegs around each other, as did their tails.

"You're too kind to me, Inferdus." Amouris stated solemnly.

"I only wish for you to be happy, without hindering myself too greatly." The Dark Grey dragon replied, grunting a little. "And if I pushed you away from me, it would break my spirit to see you in tears without me."

As the two dragons mated, Amouris snarled inside her mind.

_Don't get your hopes up, you narcissistic, two-timing wretch!_ She screamed mentally. _Lucas made me happy far more than you ever have, or ever will!_

After thinking of That dragon, the Queen's thoughts shortly turned to sorrow.

_Oh, Lucas... I swear, I'll do what I can to get you back._


End file.
